1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to structure of a card connector device to be used for, for example, IC (integrated circuit) cards as storage mediums in personal computers or the like and CF (compact flash) cards which are used in electronic devices such as digital cameras.
2. Description of the Prior Art
IC card connector devices are generally used as devices for extension storage of personal computers for example, and IC cards are becoming more and more popular as storage mediums in IC card connector devices.
An IC card is loaded into an IC card connector device to write and read necessary information. Generally, an IC card is provided with an identifier which indicates write inhibit, while the IC card connector device side is provided with a detector switch for detecting the insertion of the IC card and a detector switch (a write protect switch) for identifying IC card write inhibit. In the conventional IC card connector device, when the IC card provided with such an identifier is to be loaded therein, a detector switch having elongated lead terminals disposed opposedly to each other with contacts formed at tips of the lead terminals is disposed at a position corresponding to the identifier of the IC card which indicates write inhibit, and the contacts of the detector switch are opened and closed correspondingly to the identifier of the IC card as the IC card is inserted, thereby detecting whether write into the IC card is possible or not.
The IC card connector device is provided with a header having plural contact pieces arranged side by side correspondingly to the plural contacts which are arranged side by side on the IC card side. The header is further provided with plural connecting pieces integral with the contact pieces, the connecting pieces being soldered to circuit patterns formed on a circuit board to which the IC card connector device is attached. The contact pieces and the connecting pieces are electrically connected together within the header. According to a certain configuration of the plural contacts formed in the IC card, as defined by a related standard, some contacts are spaced narrower than the other contacts. Therefore, also in the header of the IC card connector device, some contact pieces are spaced narrower than the other contact pieces correspondingly to the spacings of the contacts in the IC card.
A certain IC card connector device is provided with a lock mechanism which causes an IC card to be locked to a card receiving position when inserted into the connector device and which unlocks the IC card when the card is to be ejected, allowing the IC card to be ejected from the card receiving position. The lock mechanism is provided with a heart-shaped locking cam formed on a frame which has an IC card receptacle portion and a locking pin engaged at one end thereof with the locking cam and supported at the opposite end by a slide member rotatably. As an IC card is inserted, the slide member is moved in the direction of the IC card insertion, whereby the one end portion of the locking pin comes into sliding contact with the locking cam to effect locking and unlocking. In the lock mechanism, if the IC card locked in the card receiving position is once pushed in the card inserting direction, the locking pin becomes disengaged from the lock portion of the locking cam and the IC card is ejected in the direction of its ejection with a biasing force of a coiled spring which urges the slide member in the card ejecting direction.
However, in the above structure of the detector switch used in the conventional IC card connector device, two lead terminals are used and they must be spaced a predetermined distance from each other in a mutually opposed relation, with consequent increase in the width of the entire IC card connector device, thus giving rise to the problem that it is impossible to attain the reduction of thickness and size.
Moreover, in the structure of the header used in the above conventional IC card connector device, the contact pieces are disposed correspondingly to the spacings of the contacts of the IC card so that some contact pieces are narrower in spacing than the other contact pieces. Accordingly, some contact pieces also become narrow in spacing, thus causing the problem that the soldering work efficiency for the circuit board is extremely low.
Further, in the structure of the IC card connector device provided with the conventional lock mechanism described above, for ejecting the IC card received in the card receiving position, it is necessary that the IC card be once pushed in its inserting direction, that is, it is necessary that a space for permitting an overstroke of the IC card be formed between a front end of the IC card lying in the card receiving position and a rear end of the IC card receptacle portion, with the result that the depth of the IC card connector device increases, making it impossible to attain the reduction of size. Additionally, in the case where the IC card connector device is used in a portable electronic device, there has heretofore been the problem that the locking pin is disengaged from the lock portion of the locking cam due to external oscillations or the locking pin slides in the reverse direction on the locking cam.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to solve the above-mentioned problems and provide a structure of a card connector device provided with a detector switch for identifying IC card write inhibit and capable of constructing the detector switch in a simple manner and attaining the reduction of thickness and size of the entire card connector device.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a card connector device having a header wherein connecting pieces are formed in a deviated state to a central side with respect to arranged positions of contact pieces and are spaced at equal intervals as a whole, thereby improving the working efficiency in soldering the connecting pieces to a circuit board.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a structure of a card connector device having a lock mechanism and capable of attaining the reduction of size and making the lock mechanism stable without an increase in depth of the card connector device even for an overstroke of an IC card inserted therein.
For solving the above-mentioned problems, in the first aspect of the present invention there is provided a card connector device comprising a header having a plurality of contact pieces to be connected with contacts of a card, a frame contiguous to the header and having a card receptacle portion, and an electrically conductive cover member attached to the frame so as to cover the card receptacle portion, wherein the frame is formed with a switch portion which is operated with insertion and ejection of the card, the switch portion comprising a contact plate which is pushed outward with insertion of the card and a part of the cover member which is brought into abutment against the contact plate, the contact plate being brought into and out of contact with the cover member with insertion and ejection of the card.
In the second aspect of the present invention there is provided, in combination with the first aspect, a card connector device wherein the card is provided with an identifier which indicates write inhibit, and the contact plate is brought into and out of contact with the cover member correspondingly to the identifier, thereby detecting whether write into the card is possible or not.
In the third aspect of the present invention there is provided, in combination with the first aspect, a card connector device wherein the contact plate is disposed at an outer side portion of the frame and has a projecting portion projecting to the receptacle portion side and also has a contact portion, the contact portion being formed on the side opposite to the projecting portion and adapted to come into abutment against the cover member, and the cover member is disposed so as to cover the contact plate together with the receptacle portion.
In the fourth aspect of the present invention there is provided, in combination with the third aspect, a card connector device wherein the contact portion is formed on a free end side with respect to the position where the projecting portion is formed.
In the fifth aspect of the present invention there is provided, in combination with the third aspect, a card connector device wherein the projecting portion is formed in a dome-like expanded shape.
In the sixth aspect of the present invention there is provided a card connector device comprising a header having connector terminals, the connector terminals comprising a plurality of contact pieces arranged correspondingly to arranged positions of contacts formed on a card side and a plurality of connecting pieces drawn out from the contact pieces and soldered to a circuit board, and a frame contiguous to the header and having a card receptacle portion, wherein some of the plural contact pieces are spaced narrower than the other contact pieces, and the plural connecting pieces are spaced at equal intervals in their juxtaposed direction so as to be wide for the narrow spacing of the some of the contact pieces and narrow for the spacing of the other contact pieces.
In the seventh aspect of the present invention there is provided, in combination with the sixth aspect, a card connector device wherein the connector terminals have base portions which support the contact pieces in a cantilevered state, the connecting pieces are formed to be projected on one end sides of the base portions, and the connecting pieces are positioned so as deviate little by little in the juxtaposed direction of the connector terminals with respect to the arranged positions of the contact pieces.
In the eighth aspect of the present invention there is provided, in combination with the seventh aspect, a card connector device wherein the connecting pieces are contiguous to one end sides of the base portions which are positioned on a central side of the frame, and are arranged so as to deviate in the central direction of the frame with respect to the centers of the base portions, and free ends of the connecting pieces are soldered to the circuit board through a through aperture formed in the frame.
In the ninth aspect of the present invention there is provided, in combination with the seventh aspect, a card connector device wherein the connector terminals are formed by molding integrally with the header in a state in which the contact pieces and the connecting pieces are projected from the header.
In the tenth aspect of the present invention there is provided, in combination with the ninth aspect, a card connector device wherein between the some contact pieces which are spaced narrowly, the base portions of the associated connector terminals are formed with coupler portions, and after the integral molding of the connector terminals with the header, the coupler portions are cut off to separate the contact pieces from each other.
In the eleventh aspect of the present invention there is provided a card connector device comprising a slide member adapted to be engaged with a card and slidable in card inserting/ejecting directions, a biasing member for urging the slide member in the card ejecting direction, a frame having a card receptacle portion and a heart-shaped locking cam, and a locking pin adapted to engage the locking cam to lock the slide member to a card receiving position, wherein an opening is formed on a rear end side of the card receptacle portion of the frame, and when the card is to be ejected, the card lying in the card receiving position is pushed in its inserting direction, allowing a front end of the card to be projected from the opening, whereby the locking pin is disengaged from the locking cam and the card is ejected in the ejecting direction by the slide member.
In the twelfth aspect of the present invention there is provided, in combination with the eleventh aspect, a card connector device wherein the frame is formed with a delimiting portion for delimiting the movement of the slide member in a direction in which the slide member is pushed after unlocked when the card lying in the card receiving position is pushed in its inserting direction.
In the thirteenth aspect of the present invention there is provided, in combination with eleventh aspect, a card connector device wherein the front end of the card is formed with a slant surface-like cutout portion, and the slide member is brought into engagement with the cutout portion and is moved slidingly.
In the fourteenth aspect of the present invention there is provided, in combination with the eleventh aspect, a card connector device wherein one end side of the locking pin is pivotably secured to the slide member and is pushed by the biasing member to an inner wall surface of an axial bore into which it is inserted, while an opposite end side of the locking pin is engaged with the locking cam slidably.
In the fifteenth aspect of the present invention there is provided, in combination with the fourteenth aspect, a card connector device wherein the biasing member is a coiled spring, the slide member is formed with a spring accommodating recess for receiving the coiled spring therein, and the axial bore is formed on one end side of the spring accommodating recess.